Okay, since you're getting almost the same parts as I am, these steps will basically mimic exactly what you'll have to do to do yours.

I'm sure there are other/better ways of doing this, but this is how i've done it and maybe the peeps here (who for some crazy reason like to look at the test forums) can give more useful insight and tips for you.

First we start out with the case, dosn't matter whether you get the silver version of this case, or the mystique 631 range, it's exactly the same inside, side and back so you'll follow the same steps anyway.

Here are the parts.from the left we have the basic screw set, all you'll need is a phillips head screwdriver. ignore the lens cap below that. the red lil box is the two ram modules, then you got the hard drive. Above that is a generic PSU in a white box and the CPU sitting on top of that. Then it's the graphics card, and then you got the motherboard on the far right.

yea yea I ended up getting the black one, maybe the silver one looks better.

Here you see the back of the case

Start out by taking out these screws, the panel you remove (and the only panel you need to remove) is this panel. There are two of these fat screws to remove.

After that you basically pull the small latch on the panel and it'll come off without a sweat.

Inside you'll find the manual, some screws and stuff you need and a lot of cabling for the connectors. You can tell what each connector is used for, by looking at where the connections come from. i.e the red/yellow/black wire on the bottom right hand corner is from one of the big fans built into the case... so obviously thats a connector for the fan

Some screws, the purple stuff is for the hard drive(s).

Grab your motherboard box.

Then take out the motherboard itself.

Now take out the CPU from it's box

Pwetty motherboard...

Look at the CPU socket, there is a small lever on the left side of it, release the lever and that unlocks the lid, then you can lift the lid off, exposing the socket.

Grab the CPU heat sink fan, do not touch the stuff on the copper base. It's the thermal paste and it has to go between the copper base and the cpu when you put the fan onto the CPU.

Then Grab the CPU and take the plastic thing off it, DO NOT touch the bottom of the cpu where the pins are, hold it by the edges. DO NOT touch the socket where the pins stick out.Putting the CPU onto the socket is a peice of cake, with the shiny top of the CPU facing up, there is really only one way to put the CPU into the socket. It won't let you put it in the wrong way because there is a little notch on two sides of the CPU, so it kinda fits in like a lock.

After it's been dropped into the socket, replace the socket lid and pull the lever back into it's place to secure the CPU into the motherboard.

Then it's time to put the heat sink fan on, make sure that when you put it onto the CPU. Make sure it covers the CPU, then don't take it off or wriggle it around too much. Because once the copper base touches the CPU head the thermal paste smudges over the CPU. Taking the fan off again will mean you might have to reapply thermal paste all over again!Sit it carefully over the CPU like as if it's a UFO landing on it's designated landing base. By aligning the 4 big pins of the heat sink fan with each of the 4 holes on the motherboard. That way when it "lands" over the CPU all you have to do is push it down a bit, and lock it into place by pushing down at those black heads on top of each pin.

The connector that comes directly off the CPU fan is clearly for powering the CPU fan... right next to the CPU socket is where you plug it into the motherboard. Do this now.

The finished result.... was a failure. I stuffed up with putting all the 4 pins in the right place because the heat sink fan wasn't fully pressed down against the CPU. I knew this because when I fired up my computer for the first time, I checked the CPU tempreture (it shows it in the BIOS setup) and it was running 87 DEGREES! So I took the heat sink fan off... reapplied more thermal paste over it and made damn sure this time to properly secure the heat sink fan into place. Don't be too scared to be a bit rough on it, I had to in order to get it in properly!

MAKE SURE THE HEAT SINK FAN IS SITTING SECURELY ON TOP OF THE CPU. If the base of the heat sink fan isn't correctly squished against the cpu (with the thermal paste squished inbetween) than the CPU will not be properly cooled and will get HOT! (like what happened to me)

After I fixed the problem, the tempreture of the CPU dropped from 87 degrees to 31 degrees! So when you turn the computer on. Make sure the FIRST thing you do is go into BIOS (press DEL) and select "PC Health Status" (it'll be there, don't worry) and then look at the CPU tempreture, make sure it's in the 30's range and not higher like mine originally was!

Next up it's time to install the RAM

Open the ram slots by just pulling the lil levers on each side of the slot. There is one of both ends of each slot.

The trick to installing these is by putting an equal amount of force on the ends of the ram module as you push it down into the slot. It is always very hard and you have to use a fair amount of force to push it into it's slot. Usually one end of the RAM goes in but the other won't. So you always have to try and push it in by having both ends of the ram module pushing down into the slot. If it's being a pain and not going in don't worry it's normal. Just keep pushing till it slides in properly.

Make sure both sides are locked in! You'll know cause the lil levers on both sides of the ram module will be locked into place again.

Now don't do what I did here because I put the two ram modules on different coloured slots. Apparently to enable DDR you have to have each pair on the same coloured slots. So in the later stages of my installation I fixed it!

Now the face plate for the back of the computer will not match that of your motherboard's. Thats why in your motherboard box, it comes with it's own face plate specific to that motherboard. You'll need to remove the existing face plate on the case by just popping it out. Just use force and it'll come out.

On the left is the face plate that came with the case. On the right is the new one that comes with the motherboard.

Notice how the motherboard matches the faceplate that came with it. This is why you have to change it.

Just push the new faceplate into place

Now grab the gold screws that came with the case (in the lil plastic bag) and screw them into the holes as shown in the photographs. They basically have to align up perfectly with your particular motherboard.

Once finished you hover your motherboard into place to check to make sure the gold screws are aligned perfectly with the holes on the motherboard. MAke sure you do NOT put any gold screws under the motherboard that arn't meant to be there (i.e there's not hole showing through the motherboard) otherwise the gold screws could short circuit the motherboard.

Once it's all be aligned properly, use the screws that came with the case (in the same plastic bag as the gold screws you just used) and simply screw them through the holes and into the gold screws you put in before. This obviously secures the motherboard into place.

Motherboard, CPU and RAM is now installed!

continued.....

duality

Aug 11 2007, 04:04 AM

Aww that makes me nostalgic. I used to build up so many gaming rigs in the olden days

Great guide mate, and top notch photos.

White RSX

Aug 11 2007, 08:30 AM

Pristine miss on forum selection.

Easton

Aug 11 2007, 04:04 PM

This was meant to be for a friend of mine whos scared of upgrading her comp it was the easiest way to make the guide for her.

Flaw

Aug 21 2007, 09:34 PM

Holy fucking shit. I didn't see this thread, but on Aug. 11th I built an almost identical computer for my girlfriend.NZXT Hush Case (It was a toss up between the Hush and the Mystique)Antec TP 430WIntel C2D E6850Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3LOCZ 2x1GB DDR2-800Leadtek 8500GTSamsung 250GB sataLite-On sata DVDRW 20x

Just for the record, I fucking hate the retail C2D heatsink clamp design.

Flaw

Aug 22 2007, 07:46 PM

And holy fucking shit. I have the exact same toolset. EASTON GET OUT OF MY BRAIN.

WardLarson

Aug 22 2007, 09:17 PM

holy fucking shit

White RSX

Aug 24 2007, 07:23 AM

Shit fucking holy.

Phix

Aug 24 2007, 11:23 AM

infinity

Aug 24 2007, 11:36 AM

The world would be a much better place if people still dressed like that ^

Pking688

Aug 25 2007, 02:33 PM

"And now a song from a gay guy."

ha.

Phix

Aug 25 2007, 07:47 PM

QUOTE(Pking688 @ Aug 25 2007, 06:33 PM)

"And now a song from a gay guy."ha.

He's not actually gay.

Pinecone

Sep 5 2007, 05:53 AM

It's a family guy reference.

WardLarson

Sep 5 2007, 06:00 AM

RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRICK ROLLED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is a "lo-fi" version of our main content. To view the full version with more information, formatting and images, please click here.